Guest Bio: Johann Hari is a writer and journalist. He has written for a number of publications including The Independent (London) and The Huffington Post, and has written books on the topic of the war on drugs, the monarchy, and depression, in an accessible and non-technical style. His new book Lost Connections is available now.

Topics Discussed: Johann describes his depression and explains what depression is; depression as the result of work; why employment can make us feel depressed; depression as the result of unmet needs; corporations vs. democratic co-operatives; self-employed people and depression; depression and junk food; the movement towards junk values; we’re told since babies that life is about consumption; some people who were sexually abused eat to make themselves obese and unappealing; Johann talks about the childhood trauma that led to his depression; shame is a catastrophe for human psychology; measuring chemicals in the brain; serotonin; Hamilton scale for depression; Abilify and other psych meds; Joe wonders why doctors don’t suggest people exercise and eat right; our pain makes sense; loneliness and depression; we exist because our ancestors formed into tribes; depression isn’t purely a psychological phenomenon; we are depressed because we’ve been misled about what makes us happy; people in the US don’t become happier by buying things for themselves, while other countries do things for other people to become happier; financial anxiety and depression; talk about a guaranteed annual income experiment in Canada; antidepressants don’t have to come in pill forms; obesity and depression; chemical/drug addiction; rat park experiment; (1:00:00) some people get addicted to drugs because their lives lack meaning or purpose; cigarettes and nicotine patches; more talk about addiction and drugs; people are comfort junkies; talk about doctors diagnosing depression; death and depression; grief; LSD and psilocybin for depression and addiction; Joe explains what a psychedelic experience is like and how it’s akin to CTRL+ALT+DEL for the brain; dissolving the ego; some people are just stuck in their lives; changing your own life is easier than changing society; Joe says it’s not impossible to just quit your job and change your life; MAPS and MDMA therapy; debate about changing yourself vs. changing society; causes of depression; build bonds with other people in your community; Johann talks about a woman in Cleveland; Native Americans and suicide; getting back to a neutral point to work towards improving your life; work towards improving yourself one day at a time; if you’re young, move in a direction that’s appealing to you; nothing worth doing is easy; universal basic income; Chasing the Scream book; Lost Connections book; talk about addiction around the world; drug decriminalization in Portugal; marijuana in America; Jeff Sessions and “just say no“; Faithfull book; more talk about drug laws and problems around the world; Switzerland and heroin addiction; iboga; humans have needs and if those needs are met you don’t need drugs; loneliness is a problem for people; people are spiritually homeless in the western world; Johann spouts off a bunch of stats about how many people are on psych meds; (2:00:00) kids and Ritalin; he talks about spending time with the Amish and Rumspringa; the Amish and education; addiction has a root and meaning; Johann talks about spending time with some female prisoners; drug addiction needs to be approached with compassion, connection, love, and understanding; school is good for turning kids into work robots; Joe talks about his time in school as a child; we don’t need to have a culture that deadens people; we live in a world designed to serve corporations and not people; the things that will make you successful are the things that school beats out of you; more talk about kids and psych meds; Joe asks Johann about the criticisms of his work; Johann continues to ramble about stuff; now he’s talking about car safety and comparing it to depression and anxiety; Joe thinks people work way too much and should only work three or four days per week; On Golden Pond movie; people shouldn’t be told that their issues are biological; talk about an experiment about mental health and biology vs. life choices; were people depressed in the past; Johann thinks that indigestion comes from eating too fast and that people don’t need pills for it; pharmaceutical companies marketing by creating issues and symptoms; everything we’re being told is bullshit; talk about pharmaceuticals and the FDA; Joe asks again about exercise and depression; Johann is rambling about studies and other random stuff.

Books Mentioned

These are the books that were mentioned and/or recommended during this episode:

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